Whitetail Fawn Study Should Help Managers

Safari Club International Foundation (SCI Foundation) proudly announced today that it made a donation of $25,000 to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to conduct a white-tailed deer predation study. The SCI Foundation and Wisconsin DNR Predator / Prey study will examine challenges wildlife managers face in finding a balance between predator and prey populations.

“We are proud to partner with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources,” said SCI Foundation President Joseph Hosmer. “State agencies provide the most critical on-the-ground science to improve game management in the United States. By working collaboratively with state agencies we will be building a long term partnership to keep wildlife populations sustainable for future generations of sportsmen and women.”

“This generous donation from the Safari Club International Foundation will be used for field research to assess causes and rates of fawn and adult buck mortality in Wisconsin’s white-tailed deer herd,” said Dr. Karl Martin, Chief Wildlife and Forestry Research Section. “Partnerships like these are the key component to the success of large-scale field research projects.”

The Wisconsin predator / prey study will evaluate the impact of black bear, coyote, wolf, and bobcat populations on white-tailed deer survival and recruitment where fawn survival is low. The outcome of this study will provide decision makers with important science-based evidence to support practical management options for both predators and prey species.

“Collaborative partnerships in the name of conservation help the SCI Foundation ensure a larger impact by making the money spent go further in support of the mission,” concluded Hosmer.